A personal message from More Than Life and Turkey Club America President Denise Cantrelle.
I know what it is like to be without enough food.
Many years ago as a young mother I found myself cold, hungry and alone. In the wintertime in the small Northern California town of Susanville, living in a tiny rental that had neither proper heat nor insulation, I had to make the tough decision between providing warmth or food for my baby daughter and myself.
It is no fun living on oatmeal and Ramen Noodles and it is no fun being cold.
The good news is that there were those who reached out and helped me. When I was at my most desperate there were those who gave some simple basics from the little that they had and helped see me through the worst times of need.
Through their generosity I was able to survive, to go back to school and make a life for myself and my family.
As life got better for me, I vowed that I would never forget those tough times, never forget that when I was at my most needy there were those that reached out and helped me and I vowed that I would give back whenever I could to help those that find themselves in the position I was in all those many years ago.
Now I am married, my daughter is a grown woman making her own way and life is good. Now I am able to repay some of the kindness that was shown to me.
I know that there are many who are not able to give their time to volunteer and the logistics of providing meals and food to individual families makes it impossible for most of us to help in the way that perhaps we would like, but all of us can sacrifice just a little to help those that are in need.
At our church, More Than Life in Northern California, I started Turkey Club America to encourage others all across this great country to join with me in helping to feed those that are hungry and in need, Young mothers with children who go to bed hungry each night just as I did, seniors who in their sunset years cannot afford to put food on the table, veterans who, having served their country find themselves now needing a helping hand, the unemployed who have run out of funds, all the growing numbers of needy and hungry people in America.
Please give the cost of just one or two meals each month to feed the hungry in America.